


Fraternization

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [55]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Kissing, M/M, Miscommunication, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6596539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Mixed Signals prompt: <i>Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Rodney finds out John wants him off their team - but it's not because he doesn't want him there, but rather because they're dating now.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Fraternization

Rodney stormed into John’s office, wishing for a door he could slam against the wall. Still, the look on his face was enough to send Lorne running for the hills, muttering something about a cake in the oven. John just leaned back in his chair, eyebrows raised.

“Did we have a meeting scheduled?” he asked.

“You’re an asshole!” Rodney crossed his arms over his chest, his body a quivering mass of anger and hurt, with a dash of humiliation thrown in for good measure. “I’m good enough for your bed, but not your team? That’s bullshit, and you know it!”

John sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Listen, Rodney –”

“No, _you_ listen!” Rodney jabbed a finger at John. “I’ve more than proven myself offworld. I’ve passed all my weapons qualifications. And I’ve saved your skinny ass more than once. You could’ve at least have had the courtesy to talk to me about this, instead of going right to Elizabeth. Like last night, maybe, when I was fucking you through the mattress.”

John flushed, the bland look finally dropping off of his face. “McKay.”

Rodney was more than familiar with that tone, and he bristled to hear it. He didn’t need to be handled, like some kind of recalcitrant child. He was the goddamn CSO, and if John didn’t want him on the team he could go fuck himself.

“You want to get rid of me? Fine.” He turned on his heel, ready to storm out, but of course the door wouldn’t open for him no matter how hard he thought at it. He was mortified to feel the prickling burn of tears in his eyes and blinked rapidly to get rid of them. He wasn’t a teenage girl, for goodness sake.

“Rodney,” John said. He put his hand on Rodney’s shoulder and tugged at him until he turned around. “I don’t want to get rid of you, okay? It’s not like that at all.”

“Then what is it?”

“There’re rules against fraternization.” John maintained eye contact, his face softening with something that might have been affection. “Now that we’re…you know…we can’t be on the same team.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say.” Rodney pulled away, and started pacing as best he could in the small confines of the closet John used as an office. “Since when do you care about Earth rules? Or any rules, come to that? You’re practically the poster boy for insubordination.”

“It’s not about the rules,” John protested, and Rodney could see he was getting frustrated.

“Then what? If you’re getting sick of me, just say –”

John shut Rodney up the most expedient way possible: he kissed him. A little too much with the teeth, but Rodney wasn’t stupid. He got the point. Normally he’d have taken his time, done a proper job of kissing John and reducing him to those little whining noises that Rodney loved so much, but he needed answers.

“I know it’s not easy for you, but you need to use your words.” Rodney pulled back, but just enough so he could see John’s face. He kept his hands on John, one resting on his hip and the other stroking up and down his back. “Just tell me what’s going on in that spiky-haired head of yours.”

John’s shoulders dropped, but he didn’t let go of Rodney either. When he finally spoke, he was practically whispering. “We’ve changed the team dynamic. If something happens in the field, my first instinct is going to be to protect you.”

“You’ve always done that,” Rodney pointed out. “All three of you, actually, not that I need all that protecting. Like I said, I can handle myself just fine these days.”

“My…feelings could compromise my ability to effectively do my job.”

Rodney knew it cost John a lot to say that. He wasn’t good at verbalizing his feelings.

“And you’d worry less if I was on Lorne’s Gate team? Or Edison’s?”

John looked surprised, his eyes widening even as his hands clamped down tighter on Rodney’s hips. “What? You’d still want to be on a team?”

“How did I ever fall for such a moron?” Rodney asked, looking up at the ceiling. “Being on a team is part of what I do. You need me out there as much as I’m needed back here. So I’ll ask you again. Would you worry less if I was offworld with someone else?”

John pressed his lips together into a hard, unbending line, as if he were trying to keep from saying something. But he shook his head, and the last of the tension and unease Rodney was carrying melted away. He’d have considered moving to another team, if just to set John’s mind at ease, but he wouldn’t have been happy doing it.

Rodney got it, he really did. If anything happened to Teyla or Ronon – or especially John – he didn’t know what he’d do. But putting distance between them wasn’t the answer, because if something _did_ happen, Rodney needed to be there. To fix it, even if the only fix was to hold someone’s hand and make sure they knew they weren’t alone.

“For the record,” Rodney said, pulling John in close again. “I wouldn’t worry less either.”

The door locked behind them, and Rodney kissed John properly. Everything John couldn’t express with words he poured into his touches, his kisses, the little sounds he was making.

Fuck fraternization. Rodney wasn’t going anywhere.


End file.
